Day Ten 09.09.08 (iola - Jefferson City 212 miles)
 
State Kansas - Missourri
 
The weather from the outset is cold and there's plenty of cloud cover.  As we get further into the journey it's starting to look sunny outside and the trees are blowing a lot less so that should give us some encouragement.  Team C start to get ready around 10am and we're treated to a naked Shelly balancing between bikes at the back of the RV and rubbing Assoss cream (soothing antiseptic for your backside) into his cycling shorts.  Dave, Graeme and John have prepared the bottles, Andrew has rode shotgun next to Anthony and Morty has been lying down with his legs in the air for half an hour. 

 

 
Team A start off well, the RV needs filling with water and Brocko' stops at a local garage.  Gary Torr joins in and is setting the hose into the water into the RV tank, suddenly Brocko's "don't Gaz' the water, it's on, it's not ready and SPLOSH ! it's everywhere, Gaz is head to toe with water all down his front.
 
A few miles into the ride and Alan isn't feeling too well, the legs are sore and he's got butterflies in his stomach, they'll have to slow down and give him a chance to recover.  Along the way a local state trooper pulls in on the hard shoulder and gets out to see the oncoming cyclists, he raises his hand and the group think he's gesturing to stop, there's a slight confusion and Alan pulls across in front of Gary who unfortunately had been half wheeling Alan's bike.  In a split second he's down and grazes, knee, elbow and thigh.  While hitting the tarmac Gary also takes a knock to the head and his helmet scratches along the ground.   This is the second time this trip that a helmet has saved someone from serious injury (kids, if you're still reading this, learn the lesson, always wear your cycling hat, it might not be much of a fashion statement, but it'll keep you alive to one day make one).  Gary is up and about, though it's knocked him off his rhythm, he was acknowledged as riding really well and felt strong all day, but it's a tougher last few miles now.  The curious thing though was the Trooper who must have seen what happened simply got in his car and drove off. 
 
If you believe in re-incarnation, then better hope you don't one day come back as an Armadillo

 living near Highway 54 heading from Eldon to Jefferson City.  We counted 14 of the poor creatures in various states of roadside decomposition and it's clear too that the highways authority give little concern to cleaning them up after they've been killed.    
 
Tomorrow we are back to three teams of 4 with a "senior veterans group" completing the final leg into St. Louis, Missouri.  If all goes to plan we'll cover 190 miles as a group and be close to having covered 2,000 miles from west to east.  It's nearly midnight and it's time for bed.  We'll be up and loading by 7.30am with a planned 8.30am start. 
 
 Day Eleven 10.09.08 (Jefferson City - St. Louis 190 miles)
 
State Missouri - Illinois
 
We're all up and about but Alan Sadler is last to arrive downstairs fully loaded with kit and bike.  Alan's been doing the newsletter and working on the Face book site (kids, you'll know what that is) and so he's been putting in some long hours.  Fortunately, he's had Mr Sheldon as a room mate to coax him through and encourage him.

 

 
Yvonne has got hold of the first group out and is massaging thighs and calf muscles.  It is now a fineable offence to make girlie gestures or scream as Yvonne hurts you, oops! I mean massages you.  Richard Gyde is fined $1 per grimace, Shelly however takes it like a man and escapes with his wallet intact.
 
Anthony has excelled himself this morning, our RV is loaded with salted popcorn (who, on earth would ever want to eat that, I'm assured some people like it).  On Brocko's bus there was already talk at breakfast of calling off for a roasted chicken and other nice things.
 
Within 20 minutes of us setting off Morty assumes control of the bed at the back of the RV and is soon in a slumber. 
 
We eventually arrive after 24 miles cycling in the small residential town of Hamel and have lunch on the edge of a local park.  The sun is beaming down and we enjoy a half hour relax before setting off again. The second half will cover about 34 miles and we get a pace on.  The team is working well and we are building up a bit of speed and getting the miles out of the way. 
 
This part of Illinois is very clean, tidy and filled with green fields and makes a pleasant and much welcome change to some of our earlier experiences.  Our destination is Greenville just short of St. Louis and it's a really nice town, typical middle America I dare say.  All the buildings are wooden structure and streets arranged in blocks, a grassed area town square with a Gazebo in the middle and the streets are clean, no litter and only a few people dotted around going about there business.

 

 
Team A have had a more difficult day than any of the other teams and at one point Gary Torr has to get off, the climbs are steep and they're rolling up them at 4mph at best.  Another two punctures, one loose set of handlebars and a seat. 
 
Yvonne has her massage table out and at least four of us get treated to some torture.  Apparently with all the constant cycling and not enough rest or decent replacement food for protein and carbs' the leg muscles simply can't repair themselves in time for the next day and so as every day goes on the pain gets worse.  Once you get to a comfortable pace everything seems ok, but when you have to exert yourself again up the hills the lactate in your muscles burns like hell and for a few hundred yards at times you feel like you've got to stop, but you can't as it will make it worse.  When Yvonne sinks her thumbs into your thighs and rolls out the muscles the pain can be anything but pleasant, though we are assured its helping as it will get the blood flowing in that area again and help to heal the muscle. 
 
  
There's the usual light banter and then I find I have a new best friend, a brother in arms.  Mr Sheldon or Shelly to his friends has joined me in the RV disgraced category by breaking the unwritten rule.  Shelly having certain urges to clear his internal systems is at the point of commanding Brocko' to stop almost anywhere and if he can find a field that has big leaves in it that would be a bonus.  Brocko' with a concern for the local communities and the well being of the local drainage systems simply won't allow such an environmental disaster to occur on his watch and with no other options Mr Sheldon has to succumb and sits down in the RV to conduct business.   A much relieved Shelly now has a story to tell and has the constant sympathy of his room partner and life long coach to help him through this difficult hour.  I'm sure Alan will keep it quiet.  Well after all when you've got to go, you've got to go.
 

 

Meanwhile as most of us disappear off for an early night we recognise that Brocko' is still in the bar and has been there since at least 7.30.
 
Day Twelve 11.09.08 (Greenville - Indiana 196 miles)
 
State Illinois - Indiana
 
We're up on time it's 7am and we're loading, that is if you're on Anthonys RV.  Brocko' may have had one or two more than he planned last night and it gets to 7.45am and there's no sign of life.  Everyone is tucking into yet another sumptuous breakfast of cereal, coffee and not much else.  It's hardly worth bothering with and not what you need to replenish your reserves for the day.
 
We get off a little later than planned, but it's no big deal, a quick stop off at Wall-Mart, followed by an unscheduled one at Subway as half the RV are starving this morning.  A six inch sub, cookie and coffee and we're conscious again it's breathed enough life into Keith as he's dragged into a road rage incident.  Brocko' misses a red light when turning right and a motorist in a Lime Green VW Beetle takes umbridge at Brocko's attempt to cut short his life.  Pulling up directly in front of us to make his point, Brocko' takes the initiative and overtakes, but the guys having none of it.  Keith winds the window down and asks "what's your problem", The VW drivers not a happy camper and Shelly joins in leaning out of the window "I'd advise you to move on, if you know what's good for you, but the drivers having none of it.  Keith, ever the diplomat leans out of the window "get yourself a proper car, you P**ck".  I bet the VW drivers thinking these Australians, what they doing over here.
 
With reference to that last remark on four occasions so far the locals, OOPS ! sorry to break the writing, but Shellys just shown his backside to Sadler,  gross and misconduct, anyway, where was I; yes, the local have now asked us three times are we from Australia and once are we from New Zealand. 
 
We pass Team B on the way to our drop off and duly ask Gary Torr is everything alright, "tell, Morty, he's a lazy, fat etc etc.  Nice one Gaz', that'll gel the team.  We'll get Mortys opinion later in the day.
 

The ride is pretty uneventful again, we are riding well as a unit taking turns at the front in one mile intervals and Sean has led us out at an easier 12 -14mph pace.  As the morning comes to a close we are moving along quite nicely at around 17mph.  It'll be 34 mile before we stop and when we do it's for Andrew to change both inner tube and tyre.  Andrews now had 8 punctures in 11 days.   Whilst waiting there's no point in wasting valuable eating time and so I turn up with a Banana Split and relax with Sean while we watch Andrew show us the art of putting tube and tyre together.  Afterwards we move on at a great pace for the last 15 miles and take care of the up and downs with some comfort, bar one or two harder ones.  We're back at Brockos mobile café, its recovery drinks, Pasta and Chicken with a healthy side salad and it goes down a treat.  20 minutes later we are on our way and heading for the Quality Inn, Indiana.
 
The hotel is 15 miles from the Indianapolis race track and there's a full race weekend on with practice laps and qualifying, apparently it's the first motorcycle race there since 1909.  The Indianapolis circuit houses 250,000 permanent seats and is so big that you can fit inside it the Roman Coliseum, Vatican City, The Rose Bowl, Yankee Stadium, Churchill downs and Wimbledon Centre court.  As a City it is the U.S.As 13th largest and is bigger than San Francisco, Boston, Seattle and Las Vegas by population.  With the exception of Washington D.C the city dedicates more acreage and number of monuments and memorials to the country's war veterans than anywhere else in the U.S.